


To love and to protect

by TessaHerondale82



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-16
Updated: 2015-02-16
Packaged: 2018-03-13 07:35:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3373181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TessaHerondale82/pseuds/TessaHerondale82
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I was inspired by the news of John and Lyla's wedding. It takes place on that day. Oliver and Felicity finally find each other again. Please be aware that English is not my native language. I did my best and  I hope you'll like it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To love and to protect

“...Because that's love, right? When you know someone better than they do and you would do anything in the world to protect them.”

Oliver stood in the centre on the room with one glass of champagne in one hand and a charming smile on his face. Everyone in there was looking and paying attention to that handsome man in a black Tight who, as the best man, was giving an inspired speech.

“John and Lyla know each other so well that it's hard to understand where one ends and the other begins. Things have been complicated in the past but they've always found each other, something has always brought them back together. That is love, and their love will always prevail.”

The man took a look around the room to find Felicity looking at him with tears in her eyes. He then raised his glass: “To John and Lyla. I love you guys, I wish you all the best this life can offer.”

People joined cheerfully in the toast. Oliver sat down, not before giving one last gaze to Felicity who was sitting just two tables away with Roy, Thea and Laurel. Ray Palmer should have been there too, he knew Ray was supposed to be Felicity's plus one at the wedding, but as a matter of fact, he wasn't there, there was an empy seat next to the girl.

She was stunning by the light of the candles, her blue eyes sparkled with happiness for her beloved friends and everyone could see that she was having a good time that night. She was wearing a red dress that seemed to have been designed for her only. And the colour. Everytime she wore red he was reminded of their beautiful and yet disastrous date. Maybe she wore it on purpose, maybe it was her silent way to remind him what he was missing out.

Felicity met Oliver's gaze a few times during his speech and she felt like those words were for her to hear. Even her friends at the table kept looking at her from time to time.  
Things between them had been tense since he came back from the dead. First, he chose to get into bed with Merlyn without discussing it with his team, with her. This time she had to break his heart, both of their hearts, and try to move on, once and for all. Then a bunch of things had kept the team busy working and lastly she got into some sort of relationship with Ray. That didn't turn out as they expected it to be. They were “perfectly perfect” for each other but her heart already belonged to Oliver, and as hard as she tried to move on with someone else, that thing called love always brought her back to him. She loved him, she would always love him.

Oliver shyly approached to his friends' table.

“A toast for the best man!” said Roy playfully raising up his glass.

Everyone at the table joined in.

“Ollie that speech was amazing. Since when you have got this romantic side in you?” Thea asked her brother. “You should show it more often, you know.”  
“Yeah, you really should, man!”

“Roy, I think you had enough champagne for tonight. I won't go on patrol with a drunk Arsenal.Come on, lead us on the dance floor!” said Laurel. The three left Oliver and Felicity alone at the table.

“May I?” He asked pointing to the empty chair next to her.

“You may.”

A few silent seconds between them followed.

“Thea is right, you know. That speech was beautiful.”

“Thank you. I'm glad you liked it. I meant every word.”

“I believe you”, she answered smiling.

“No. I meant every word.” He was trying to point out that those words were also for her.

“Oliver...”

“Felicity...”

“It's not the right place. We are at a wedding, our best friends'wedding and we are both having a good time. I'm not in the mood of arguing with you. Not tonight. Please.”

“I don't want to argue either, but I need to talk to you and you need to listen, just this last time. Can we please go outside where we, or at least I can talk?”

Felicity nodded and they found themselves walking along the garden outside the building. It was a lovely spring night, when you can smell the flowers' scent and summer is in the air.

“So you wanted to talk. Now talk.”

She didn't mean to be so harsh, she didn't want it at all, but after all they had been through, sometimes her hurt tone was the first thing that came out when she spoke to him.

“I screwed up, big times. I know that I broke your heart, several times. I want to apologize. When you told me to stop dangling maybes I knew that I should have done that, instead I kissed you because I couldn't do it, because I already loved you, so much. The thought of losing you, the thought of losing you to someone else was unbearable, it's still unbearable.  
I missed my chance and now you are with Palmer and I need to learn to live with that.”

“Oliver!”

“No, let me finish. I love you. You have been my happy story since the day we met and I want you to be happy and if it means for you to be with Palmer, so be it so.”

He reached for her face and wiped up her tears.

She was shaking and crying. She leaned on the warmth of his hand and closed her eyes. He then took off his jacket and wrapped it around her.  
As she found herself in his jacket she felt safe and loved again. She took his hand and lead him to a bench near by. Without letting go, she started to speak.

“First of all, I'm not with Ray anymore.”

“Really?”

“Yeah”, she answered looking directly at him. “ And if you stop smiling I will gladly go on because now, you need to listen.”

“Sorry, sure go on.” Oliver couldn't stop smiling so he had to bite his lips together.

“Remember what I told you after Sara's death? That I wouldn't have waited for you? That I wouldn't have been with you if you didn't want to live your life fully as Oliver Queen?”

“Yes, Yeah, I remember.”

“Well I secretly did. I waited for days, weeks, months for you to change your mind. That you would have chosen a life before the Arrow. That you would have chosen a life together instead. But you never did. And then you died. I couldn't go past the pain in my heart because every moment I spent thinking about you, grieving you, those moments where filled with 'what if'. What if you didn't go to fight Ra's al Ghul? What if we gave us a chance? What if that restaurant didn't blow up? What if.”

She tightened his hand a bit more. She missed touching him, they both missed touching each other. He gently lifted her face to look her in the eyes.

“Felicity you have to know that I was just trying to protect you. To protect the people I love. The only way I know how to do that is wearing that hood, but if I could turn back time, I would. I would go back and do things differently.”

“I know you would. The night you came back, I got so mad. You know why? Because almost dying didn't give you a new prospective on life. You were choosing the Arrow again. You were choosing to sacrifice your life as Oliver Queen all over again. Please don't misunderstand me, I appreciate what you do as the Arrow, what you do for this city and its people is so generous, kind and selfless. Being the Arrow otherwise shouldn't forbid you to live a life like nomal people do. You need nights out with your friends, sleepy Sunday mornings, family dinners or lunches, you need laughter and love. You need to love and be loved.”

She put her hand on his chest and got close to him.

“I love you. I think I loved you since the day we met.”

She couldn't finish what she was trying to say because he took her face and kissed her. The joy in hearing Felicity saying those three words overwhelmed him. The passion between them, restrained for months now, flowed through their lips and tongues. Out of breath they finally separate.

“Just promise me one thing”, she said keeping her hands on his shoulder.

“Everything.”

“If we embark on this relationship, your life as Oliver Queen comes first, because as much as I love the Arrow and spending my nights with him, I love you the most and I want to spend my life with you.”

“I promise.”

They lost themselves in their kisses. They were finally there. They were finally home.


End file.
